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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Moving beyond mediocrity
- intentionally (Part 2)
For the past two weeks,
I’ve advocated that
you spend time, per
sonally and organizationally,
in reflection.
I’ve suggested you eval
uate the results you are
obtaining from the proce
dures you are following, and
consciously consider alterna
tive actions that might yield
better results.
You might wonder if I fol
low my own advice from
these columns.
You better believe it!
I sat down one evening
with my journal and started
identifying opportunities for
improvement in my life.
In very short order, I
was able to identify almost
two dozen areas where I
have inadvertently become
comfortable with “good
enough.”
You see, we all have a built
in mechanism that keeps us
from going crazy!
We work against current
needs until we become tired
or discouraged, and then we
unknowingly begin to toler
ate mediocrity.
Unfortunately, when this
occurs, it creeps up on us
silently, “on little cat feet,”
like the “Fog” in Carl
Sandburg’s famous poem.
Now this is not the same
as the apostle Paul describ
ing how he had learned to
be content (Philippians 4:11-
13).
Instead, this is where we
have unwittingly set aside
that responsibility of leader
ship associated with inspir
ing a shared vision of “what
could be.”
Also, this is not that por
tion of the Serenity Prayer
associated with “accepting
the things I cannot change.”
LAKE
From page 1A
the Department of Natural
Resources) says there’ll be
enough watershed water to
fill it eventually.”
State Senator Ross
Tolleson said, “I’m glad
we’ve got the dam complet
GALLONS
From page 1A
pipes laid down in the early
years of World War 11.
A second accident came
on Monday when construc
tion workers broke through
a service line near O’Neal
Insurance Company, creat
ing one small geyser, and
then, after sealing that
break off, creating another.
Bill O’Neal, who was good
natured about the incident,
said his office had no water
service for the morning, but
REWARD
From page 1A
type of cutting instrument.
Investigators are investi
gating the case as a homi
cide. It is the first murder of
2006. The city had only one
in 2005, four in 2004 and
PUBLIC NOTICE OF USDA FINDING
OF NO SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENT IMPACT
The USDA Rural Development had received an application for financial
assistance form State Application Identifier Number GA 060612022.
The specific element of the proposed action is the construction of a 64 unit
“Elderly” multifamily housing complex located on Macon Road (Hwy. 41),
Perry, Georgia.
USDA Rural Development has assessed the potential environmental impacts
of the proposed action and has determined it will have no significant adverse
effects on the quality of human environment. Therefore, USDA Rural Devel
opment will not prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for this proposed
action.
Any written comments regarding this decision should be provided within 15
days of this publication to:
F. STONE WORKMAN
State Director
Stephens Federal Building
355 East Hancock Avenue, Stop 307
Athens, Georgia 30601-2708
Requests to review the USDA Rural Development Environmental Assessment,
upon which the determination is based, or to receive a copy of it, should be
directed to the above address.
We’re talking now about hav
ing the “courage to change
the things I can” and having
the “wisdom to know the dif
ference.”
Healthy leadership teams
are aware of the tendency to
lapse into tolerating “good
enough.”
They plan periodic, inten
ti o n a 1
seeking
nities for
learning
m ® nt
1L IS
aISO help
fuj f Qr an
organiza-
,
Dennis Hooper
Leaders Building
Leaders
dhooper2@juno.com
tion to identify two items
that are extremely beneficial
in considering intentional
improvement. First are the
organization’s key results
areas.
I mentioned this last
week, but I think it is worth
repeating.
Does everyone in the orga
nization know how “success”
is defined?
That is, does everyone
know what outcomes are
desired, and how “improve
ment” in those outcomes is
measured?
Further, does everyone
know what the key meth
odologies are that produce
those outcomes?
If you are not satisfied
with the answers as you ask
these questions in your orga
nization, you have identified
some places you can practice
intentional improvement!
The second item that
should be in place to contrib
ute to intentional improve-
ed. The way I see it, the
glass is half full.”
Tolleson said that he
expected that increased rain
later in the year would begin
the process of filling the 106-
acre lake bed.
Noting that it’s “up to
Mother Nature,” Tolleson
said.
that had been corrected.
The construction work is
part of a major project of
the Downtown Development
Authority in cooperation
with Perry United Methodist
Church. Meeting Street,
which forms a link between
Carroll Street, Commerce
Street and Main Street, is
undergoing a major change.
The street has been divid
ed by a median. Now, the
street adjacent to Perry
United Methodist Church
will become a parking area
for the church, with traffic
five in 2003.
Anyone with information
can contact the Criminal
Investigations Division
at 929-6911 or the Patrol
Division at 929-1170. Tips
can also be called in through
Crime Stoppers at 742-2330
or 752-8356.
ment is a clear articulation
of the organization’s values.
Because you occasionally
lose experienced employ
ees and hire new ones, it
is easy over time to drift
from desired behaviors.
And even if the organiza
tion’s values are clearly
specified somewhere (like an
employee manual or even
posted in a conspicuous
spot), sometimes the appro
priate action in a given situ
ation may not be obvious.
I encourage leaders to
spend some time helping
their organizations “behav
ioralize” their values.
That is, imagine how dif
ficult it is for new employees
to learn the unwritten rules
that exist in your workplace.
How can you and the other
experienced employees make
adopting the “right” behav
iors easier for that new per
son?
Develop a system for
training new individuals
and affirming them in the
behaviors you desire in your
organization.
Use your strongest long
term employees to provide
examples and offer sugges
tions on how to address awk
ward or infrequently occur
ring situations.
Whatever culture exists
in your organization, think
about how you can build in
a healthy impatience with
“good enough.”
Invoke the energies of
your leaders, as well as
every individual contributor,
to think afresh about “what
could be.”
By building in frequent
opportunities for intentional
improvement, your organi
zation will never become
mired in mediocrity.
“If it doesn’t rain, we’ve
got a bigger problem than
one empty lake.”
He said that work woilld
continue in the meantime
on developing the park area
with nature trails and other
amenities, the state might
build a well at the site at
some later point.
going both ways on the par
allel street.
This is part of an agree
ment between the church and
the DDA, which is obtaining
some church owned land for
beautification of Commerce
Street in exchange for the
Meeting Street land.
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LOCAL
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Journal/Ray Lightner
Warner Robins Mayor Donald Walker presents a plaque to Mrs. Phillip Campbell and
her family in honor of the Warner Robins American Little League naming one of the
fields at Flint Field after the late Phillip Campbell. Campbell was very active in little
league for decades. His grandson Josh Campbell is wearing his “Paw Paw’s" cham
pionship hat for the presentation.
LAND
From page 1A
included,” Walker said.
The governor was on had
when the park was ded
icated in May after local
businesses came together
to pay off the debt service
HCBOE lobbies for flexibility in Act
By KRISTY WARREN
Journal writer
Tuesday’s Houston
County Board of Education
meeting revealed- a desire
for more flexibility in
implementing the federal
program No Child Left
Behind.
, Quring dlSimeetmg,, Dr.
Ruth' Oljflr; Assistant
Superintendent of Student
Services, presented a
National School Board
Resolution for which the
board would like co-sponsor
ship from Jack Kingston.
The No Child Left Behind
Improvements Act of 2006
“just allows flexibility in
how it’s implemented,”
6
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on the field.
The presentation was
made at the council meet
ing because Mrs. Phillip
Campbell could not attend
the dedication ceremony.
She thanked Warner Robins
American Little League for
the dedication.
explained O’Dell.
If passed, Act 5709 would
allow for adjustments
including: permitting fewer
students in a group to meet
Annual Yearly Progress
guidelines; does not require
intermediate goals to
increase in equal incre
ments for all groups; allows
for alternate approaches to
measuring AYP and pro
vides for alternate assess
ments for students with
disabilities.
The Act would also allow
for sanctions regarding
the transfer options of low
achieving groups. In addi
tion, some schools would be
exceptions in order to keep
class sizes down and to pre
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The Campbell family was
at Monday’s meeting for
the presentation, including
grandchildren. Grandson
Josh Campbell, was wear
ing his Paw Paw’s white
“championship hat,” with
all the pins on it for the
ceremony.
vent overcrowding.
In response to the pre
sentations, board member
Dr. Charles Hill of District
7, said: “In total it is well
thought out and is an issue
that needs our full sup
port.”
O’Dell assured: “We want
to meet these standards,”
and that the resolution is a
way of “trying to be fairer
for students.”
The resolution was
approved by the board.
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